


hiding in the dead and grey

by tabbysgolden



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, post episode 8, sorry i wish i wasn't like this, this is going to hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbysgolden/pseuds/tabbysgolden
Summary: misty deals with the ramifications of her return from hell and cordelia inadvertently makes things worse.
Relationships: Misty Day/Cordelia Foxx | Cordelia Goode
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. i find the heat is too harsh on the skin

**Author's Note:**

> based on la lune by billie marten, im sorry in advance

“Misty, turn that shit off. Are you trying to put us all underwater?”

Queenie’s reprimand shook Misty back to reality as she fumbled to turn off the sink, taking note of the fact that the counter was now coated in a thin layer of water. She stared at her hands as if they were foreign to her while Queenie rounded the kitchen table with a towel.

“I’m sorry, I was in a different world I guess”, Misty mumbled while continuing to inspect the lines on her palms. She couldn’t remember why she had turned on the sink, much less why she had gone to the kitchen in the first place. Daydreaming was nothing new to her but since the day Misty set foot back inside the lofty hallways of Miss Robichaux’s, she’d been finding herself all over the house without being able to recall what her intentions were. 

The night before last, Zoe was startled to find the front door ajar with Misty planted firmly in the doorway in nothing but a tattered, oversized t-shirt. Zoe approached the other witch carefully, observing a far-away look on her face. Her gaze was fixed upon something seemingly beyond the wrought iron gates of the academy. Zoe tentatively extended a hand towards Misty’s shoulder. “Everything okay Misty?” she asked, breaking the other witch out of her trance. Misty turned quickly to meet Zoe’s gaze and shook her head as if trying to shake her mind clean of whatever was troubling her. 

“I’m sorry Zoe, I didn’t mean to startle you”. Misty held her hands close to her chest and wrung them together tightly. “It’s okay” Zoe replied, “I just wanted to make sure that you’re alright”. Misty made no effort to respond and turned away from her friend to hide the blush that colored her cheeks. “Misty…” Zoe hesitated, contemplating her words. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. Okay?”

“Thank you, Zoe” Misty offered quietly, turning to face her friend with a weak smile. A pregnant pause hung in the humid Louisiana air, neither knowing what to fill the silence with. Finally, Misty cleared her throat and reached towards the door to close it. “Better not let any more critters in the house, God knows Coco wouldn’t be too happy about another frog at the kitchen table”. Zoe chuckled, recalling the image of an irate Coco storming out of the kitchen whilst yelling profanity about the toad perched happily next to Misty’s dinner plate. 

“Earth to Misty!” Queenie cried, waving a hand across Misty’s field of vision and dragging her back to the present. “What’s going on up there? You’ve been staring into space for at least half of the day” she pressed, still in the process of cleaning the mess off of the counter. Misty fumbled for an excuse, racking her brain for an explanation as to why there were gaps in her recent memory that stretched hours. 

“Just tired I guess” she offered in response. “I’m still getting used to a normal sleep schedule, didn’t have much of that in hell”. 

“Ain’t that the truth” Queenie scoffed.

Misty nodded noncommittally and the conversation trailed off into silence. The two witches worked around each other to clean the mess that the overflowing sink had made. Misty headed for the door, knowing some time in the greenhouse might help clear her clouded head. “Misty”, Queenie started as Misty left the kitchen, “Maybe you should talk to someone about what happened. There’s no shame in needing help”. 

_What is there to say when I can’t remember my own name half the time_ Misty thought to herself. “Thanks, Queenie, I’ll think about it” she responded, continuing on her course out of the front door. 

The feeling of the dew-covered grass between her toes used to fill Misty with a sense of simple peace. She’d always felt connected to the nature around her as if it were her lifeline, pulling her back to that feeling of belonging and purpose when she drifted too far out. The earth around her had been her refuge when the rest of the world had been downright cruel. The dirt below wrapped her in a cool embrace, healing the wounds that had been inflicted upon her by people with nothing but fear in their hearts. 

As she entered the greenhouse Misty took a deep breath, filling her nose with the earthy scent that used to feel like home. She pushed her magic outward and explored the space for the familiar life force that she came to expect from the plants that lined the walls. Along with her lapses in memory, Misty had been struggling to reconnect with her magic since her return from the underworld. She no longer felt the ebb and flow of energy beneath her skin like an electrical pulse. The thought of attempting resurgence filled her with dread down to the very core of her existence. 

Who was she without her powers? They were the sole reason that she had been cast out of her community and into a new world full of people just like her. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing the tribe that she had found within the walls of the coven. If the other witches realized that she no longer belonged with them, would they send her away? How could she ever cope with losing Cordelia? 

_Cordelia_

The breath that Misty had been holding left her lungs with a whoosh. Memories of blonde hair and soft touches flooded her memory. There wasn’t a single thing about Cordelia that didn’t fill Misty’s fragile heart with joy. Every terrible thing that she had been through seemed to disappear when she was around the Supreme, but she would never admit it. Cordelia Goode was the epitome of power and light, a beacon of hope for those discovering their powers. 

She could never feel the same way Misty lamented. The woman who took Misty’s weathered hands in her own and gave her a home was still as radiant as the day they met. She burned like the sun at the center of it all and with every passing moment their orbits drifted further apart.


	2. ignore signs of change, no more

Cordelia carded her hands through her hair for what felt like the 50th time that day. Her eyes swam as she read another application from the stack on her desk that never seemed to get smaller. Her duty to the coven as Supreme would always be her top priority but she found herself preoccupied with the thought of one witch in particular. 

Misty Day’s presence had filled the coven with lively energy since the day her mud-stained feet stepped through the door. Before her untimely demise Misty could be found singing to herself unabashedly throughout the house. In times of tension, she could always be counted on to crack a joke and bring a smile to the face of any girl when all that she wanted to do was cry. Misty’s essence was a piece of their tribe that no one realized was missing until it breathed life into the whitewashed walls of the academy as if Misty herself had brought it back from the grave. 

When the swamp witch entered her life for a second time, Cordelia swore on all that she held dear that she would never let Misty slip from her grasp again. The Supreme had never put much stock in religion, but seeing Misty’s golden halo of curls emerge from the light was as close to heaven that Cordelia had been or ever would be. Her instinct, in fact, was to wrap both arms around Misty, fists balled in the delicate lace of her shawl, and never let go.

But as was the only constant in Cordelia’s life, things didn’t go according to her plan. It became obvious within the first few hours since Misty’s return that she was far from the woman that she was when she first entered hell. Every time that their paths crossed Misty disengaged and had nothing to add to the conversations around her. It was as if her body was with them but her mind had yet to catch up. Cordelia toyed with the idea of offering to take her out to the swamp that she used to call home, hoping that it would help to draw her out of her shell, but couldn’t bring herself to do it for fear that Misty would have no desire to return with her. 

_I just got her back_ Cordelia would reason with herself, _I won’t survive if I lose her again._

A knock at the door shook Cordelia out of her thoughtful stupor. She called out for her visitor to enter the office and exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw Queenie’s head poke through the door frame. “I don’t want to interrupt if this isn’t a good time Cordelia, but if you have a minute there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about”. 

Cordelia nodded affirmatively, “Of course Queenie, these applications won’t be going anywhere” she mused. Queenie took a seat across from Cordelia and bit her lip, pondering the best way to broach the sensitive topic of Misty’s current state. 

“I don’t want to worry you, I know that you’ve been swamped lately and probably don’t need more on your plate,” Queenie paused to cringe internally at her poor choice of words. “But I think Misty is having a hard time. She’s been really distracted and it’s almost like she’s not even here. I think that you should talk to her” she finished. 

Queenie waited with bated breath for Cordelia’s response. She was not known for angry outbursts as Fiona was, but Queenie was well aware of the Supreme’s love for Misty and wasn’t sure what to expect. Cordelia’s thoughts raced as she was finally confronted with the reality of her constant worry. 

“I just know how much she means to you and I figured that you might want to know” Queenie explained, attempting to fill the silence. 

Cordelia fought against the tears that collected in her eyes and the other witch pretended not to notice. “Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Queenie” she began, “and I think you’re right. But I-” she hesitated for fear of accidentally baring her soul and not being able to cover the wound. “I’m not quite sure how to help her. I thought it might be best to give her space but she doesn’t seem to be improving” she admitted defeatedly. 

Queenie nodded sadly in agreement. “I mentioned that she should talk to someone, but she didn’t seem too keen on the idea. You’re the one that she’s closest to, you’d probably have better luck. If nothing else, she’ll know that you’re there for her if she needs you”. 

A tear slipped out of the corner of Cordelia’s eye against her will and she bowed her head in shame, trying to hide the shame she felt at her lack of action regarding Misty and her obvious struggle with returning to the land of the living. Queenie reached across the desk and took Cordelia’s hand in her own, drawing her gaze upward. “I know how much she means to you. You both deserve happiness after all that you’ve been through, but she needs someone to help her out of the dark”. 

Cordelia smiled weakly at Queenie’s sentiment. She knew that Queenie was right and she knew that she owed it to Misty and to all of her witches to try, if nothing else. Just the thought of Misty Day made her heart race and she would be damned if she let her slip through her fingers into ash again. 

“Thank you for coming to talk to me. Misty’s lucky to have friends like you that are looking out for her, and I am too”. Queenie grinned and squeezed her hand affectionately. 

“We’re the lucky ones, Cordelia”. The Supreme’s heart filled to the brim with admiration for her girls. Queenie released Cordelia’s hand and stood to exit the office. As she made her way to the door she paused and turned to face the desk. 

“You should really tell her how you feel. You know better than any of us that life is too short to wait” Queenie said softly. She continued towards the door and closed it softly behind her, leaving an astonished Cordelia in her wake.


End file.
